Life ANADRY

Dry anaerobic digestion as an alternative management and treatment solution for WWTP sludge

Summary

The Life ANADRY project seeks to improve the management of the sewage sludge generated at small-to-medium urban wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Currently, the sludge is either deposited in a landfill or used in land applications.

During the project’s run, the viability of dry anaerobic (or high-solids) digestion technology will be tested as an alternative method for treating WWTP sewage sludge via a 20 m3 prototype reactor that will be installed at a WWTP in Spain’s Murcia region.

The Life ANADRY project will study the feasibility of extending the technology to other parts of Europe as well as to uses beyond small-to-medium urban WWTPs, a process that will involve other technology agents, local bodies and public administrations.

Objectives

The overarching goal of the project is to demonstrate the viability of using dry anaerobic digestion technology to improve sludge management in small-to-medium urban WWTPs. The specific technological goals are:

Recover the biogas produced during treatment and use it to reduce energy consumption in WWTPs.

Reduce operating costs in small-to-medium urban WWTPs.

Increase the stabilisation and hygienisation of WWTP sludge.

Recycle treated sludge by using it as a fertiliser, thereby decreasing the use of inorganic fertilisers and reducing carbon emissions.

Gather data and demonstrate the benefits of the dry digestion technology in the treatment of sludge in order to transfer it to full scale implementation.

CEIT-IK4's role

Ceit-IK4’s role in the project is substantial, as we are in charge of carrying out the technological tasks. In addition, one of our researchers sits on the project’s management team. Ceit-IK4’s tasks within the Life ANADRY project are to:

Characterise the sludge treated in the ANADRY prototype.

Collaborate on the design of the ANADRY prototype.

Launch of the ANADRY prototype once it is installed in the WWTP.

Collaborate on the implementation of the ANADRY technology under mesophilic and thermophilic conditions and direct the experimental programme.

Lead the technical and economic viability studies of the ANADRY technology in its pilot implementation in the WWTP.

Contribute to the dissemination tasks that track the progress and results of the project and network with other European projects.